For most of us, sound – laughter, music, the voices of loved ones – is effortless. Yet for millions around the world, silence has become an unwanted companion.
 Twenty-nine years ago, Ekaterine Tortladze’s life changed when her child was diagnosed with hearing loss. Searching for answers, she found herself in a maze of uncertainty, with no clear information, no emotional support and few resources.“What was missing was a place where patients and their families could turn not only for medical answers but also for compassion,” she recalls.Determined to fill the gap, she founded Aures, an organization for young people with hearing loss and their parents. For nearly 3 decades, Aures has worked to make services more humane and holistic, focusing on individuals and families.Ekaterine has seen how hearing loss isolates people. “They stop socializing and asking questions, they gradually withdraw from life,” she says. “But when a person hears again with the device, I feel the whole world should rejoice.”
 “It feels like a miracle”
For Nana Gvarliani, deafness began in her teens and deepened after the birth of her third child. “It was not a peaceful silence – it was a roaring, buzzing void that consumed my energy,” she recalls. “I was exhausted and devastated from constant headaches.”After more than a decade without answers, Nana heard that a cochlear implant might help. “I was terrified of surgery but took the leap. When I could finally hear again, it was like being reborn. My joy for life returned.”Nana now travels regularly from her mountain village in Mestia for rehabilitation. “Every step is worth it,” she says. “I can talk to my children again. It feels like a miracle.”
 “Sound gave me back my life”
Ten years ago, Elguja Zakareishvili, a craftsman, lost his hearing overnight. “I hated the silence,” he says. “I felt like half a person.” For years, he relied on his younger brother to communicate with clients, using written messages.Everything changed when he learned that cochlear implants were available in Georgia, and covered by the state. “At first, I only heard noise,” he recalls. “Then voices, then conversations. When I heard music again, I wanted to shout with joy.”He shares, “Sound gave me back my life. I want others to know that they can find it too.”
 “I love school so much”Six-year-old Lizzie began first grade this year – something her family once feared might never happen. Born profoundly deaf, she spoke her first words after receiving a cochlear implant at age 2 and a half. “I love school so much that I want to be a teacher,” she says proudly.Her mother, Sophie, recognized the signs early and acted quickly. “I never treated her differently,” she says. “I talked, played and believed she could thrive with the right tools.”At school, Lizzie’s teacher helped classmates understand how Lizzie hears with her device, creating an environment of understanding and inclusion. “Children are naturally accepting when things are explained to them,” Sophie says.
 Early detection, training and awareness
The stories of Ekaterine, Nana, Elguja and Lizzie reflect the progress and challenges of ear and hearing care in Georgia and around the world.Across the globe, more than 1.5 billion people experience some degree of hearing loss, and fewer than 20% receive the services they need. Unaddressed hearing loss costs nearly US$ 1 trillion each year in health, education and productivity losses. Yet up to 60% of childhood hearing loss can be prevented through simple public health measures such as early screening and treating ear infections.In Georgia, progress is accelerating. With support from WHO and ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology, the country is expanding access to hearing aids, cochlear implants and rehabilitation – vital steps towards lifelong hearing care. WHO continues to work with national partners to strengthen early detection, workforce training and awareness so that no one is left behind.If you or a loved one is experience hearing difficulties, seek professional help as soon as possible – early intervention changes lives. Learn more about hearing loss prevention via the links.

“When we began, people said we were interfering in family matters. Now, women come to us because they believe they can shape their own futures.” This reflection from a woman working in one of Georgia’s crisis centres captures a profound shift taking place across the country.In communities where traditional norms and harmful stereotypes isolate women and deter them from seeking help, these centres have emerged as trusted lifelines. Women and girls who once faced abuse in silence now access safe spaces where they receive counselling, emotional support, legal assistance, and practical guidance, including the skills needed to rebuild their lives with dignity and independence.However, despite progress in policies and an increase in available services, gender-based violence (GBV) remains one of Georgia’s most serious human rights challenges. Deep-rooted patriarchal attitudes and discriminatory social norms continue to justify violence or silence victims. Nearly one in two women aged 15–69 has experienced some form of violence, and one in four has faced intimate partner violence. Between 2018 and 2022, 183 cases of murder and attempted murder of women were recorded, 66 of which were classified as femicides.Harmful practices also persist. 14 per cent of women aged 20-24 report having been married before turning 18, with the highest rates in ethnic minority communities, where cultural expectations intersect with socioeconomic vulnerabilities. Economic inequality further traps many women in abusive relationships, as gender pay gaps, limited access to financial resources, and the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work reduce their ability to leave violent situations.National ownership leading partnerships Recognizing the urgency of addressing GBV, the Government of Georgia has made prevention and survivor support a national priority. The UN in Georgia is helping to turn this commitment into concrete progress.Here, the UN Resident Coordinator (RC) plays a pivotal role. By bringing together government institutions, UN agencies, civil society organizations, and international partners, including the European Union and the Government of Sweden, the RC ensures that Georgia’s response to GBV is coordinated, comprehensive, and grounded in shared priorities. Under this unified approach, prevention, survivor support, legislative reform, and economic empowerment are treated as interconnected pillars of a single system rather than isolated initiatives.This coordinated approach was essential in the early expansion of services. UN Women, in collaboration with the State Care Agency, civil society partners, with funding from the European Union and the Government of Sweden, supported the creation of crisis centres and shelters across the country. Since 2010, five shelters and seven crisis centres have opened, each staffed by a psychologist, social worker, and lawyer providing far more than consultations. They offer emotional support, courtroom accompaniment, legal guidance, and vocational training, enabling survivors to rebuild their lives and regain autonomy. In 2023 alone, more than 500 women accessed psychological and legal support.Over time, these investments catalyzed a critical shift: full national ownership. The crisis centres and shelters that began as donor- and UN-supported initiatives are now fully financed by the Government of Georgia. This transition signals a major milestone in the country’s GBV response, showing that essential survivor services are not temporary programmes but durable components of Georgia’s social protection framework, laying the foundation for long-term sustainability.Despite progress, infrastructure gaps remain. With only 105 shelter beds nationwide, Georgia continues to fall well below the Council of Europe’s recommended standard of one bed per 10,000 residents. Continued investment will be essential to meet growing needs and ensure full accessibility for all women and girls. Building a stronger system of prevention Under the RC’s leadership, the UN in Georgia brings together UN Women, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to strengthen national systems. This coordinated support integrates GBV prevention with access to justice, education, and employment. UN agencies also provide evidence-based research and data to inform policy decisions and improve targeting of resources.Prevention efforts have expanded significantly. Multilingual awareness campaigns now reach rural and ethnic minority communities, civil servants, educators, and youth, promoting available services and challenging harmful norms. A nationwide hotline operates 24/7 in eight languages, offering immediate, confidential assistance.With UN support, the State Legal Aid Service launched specialized legal assistance for GBV survivors in 2024. In its first year, it handled 36 cases, providing both legal consultations and courtroom representation, filling an essential gap for women unable to access justice.A new frontier: Confronting online violenceAs Georgia’s response to traditional forms of GBV strengthens, new threats are emerging in digital spaces. Women now face online harassment, image-based abuse, data leaks, and sexist hate speech, forms of violence that have severe offline repercussions, affecting mental health, safety, and participation in public life.To address this challenge, UNFPA launched an EU-funded knowledge-sharing platform in February 2025 to improve prevention and response to technology-facilitated GBV. Bringing together digital rights advocates, civil society, researchers, and policymakers, the platform represents an important step toward ensuring safer online environments for women and girls.Moving forward together“Georgia can rightly point to many achievements in women’s rights. Yet there remains an urgent need to prioritize gender equality and the empowerment of women to achieve transformative and sustainable change. This includes addressing gender-based violence and closing gender gaps in access to resources and decision-making,” emphasizes UN RC Didier Trebucq. “The United Nations remains committed to working with the government and our partners, securing dignity, safety, and equality for all women and girls.”Sustaining progress will require continued intersectoral partnerships, multilateral cooperation, and a collective commitment to building a culture rooted in empathy and equality. Expanding prevention efforts, increasing economic opportunities for women, and ensuring survivor-centered services, both offline and online, remain essential.Three decades after the Beijing Platform for Action, achieving gender equality in Georgia and around the world remains a work in progress. But it is within reach. By upholding Beijing’s vision and strengthening coordinated efforts today, Georgia can help build a future where every woman and girl lives free from fear and discrimination, fully exercises her rights, and realizes her potential.This article was originally published on the DCO website: https://un-dco.org/stories/sustaining-safety-georgia-strengthens-national-systems-protect-women-and-girls  

Georgia’s breathtaking mountains and winding rivers represent its beauty but also its challenges. With more than 20,000 rivers cutting through steep terrain, the country faces increasing threats from floods, landslides, droughts and avalanches. Around 40 per cent of Georgians live in areas vulnerable to these natural hazards, and the risk continues to grow due to climate change.As the country experiences the rising toll of climate-induced hazards, it is responding with growing determination to adapt and build resilience.This national push is supported by the UN in Georgia, where Resident Coordinator (RC) Didier Trebucq ensures a coherent, forward-looking approach to climate resilience and disaster preparedness. The UN Country Team (UNCT) is leveraging collective expertise to ensure climate risks are addressed holistically across development, humanitarian and policy agendas. ImageCaption: Georgia is at risk of various types of hazards, such as floods, landslides, droughts, and avalanches, because of its abundance of rivers intersecting with steep terrains. Disaster management is therefore essential to help the country reduce losses.Photo: © RCORisk reduction in actionSupported by the United Nations and development partners, Georgia has transformed disaster risk reduction from a policy vision into practical, on-the-ground change. Early efforts focused on training local officials to interpret hazard maps, establishing flood warning systems, and organizing school evacuation drills.That groundwork paved the way for a significant leap forward in 2019: a seven-year, $74 million national resilience programme led by the government with support from the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Green Climate Fund and the governments of Sweden and Switzerland. The programme targets 11 of Georgia’s most disaster-prone river basins, where new hydrometeorological networks, early warning systems and protective infrastructure now help safeguard lives, homes and livelihoods. The programme also strengthens local governance systems and technical institutions, embedding risk analysis into local planning.   Beyond engineering, it invests in people, empowering communities through awareness campaigns, education, and hands-on training. When complete, the initiative will directly protect 1.7 million Georgians, nearly half the population.Georgia also adopted a national Hazard Zoning Roadmap in 2024, creating a unified system for safer land use planning and risk assessment.  This milestone aligns with Georgia’s broader commitment to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, reinforcing a shift from reaction to prevention, where preparedness becomes protection.Innovating for a changing climateWith strong policies in place, Georgia is harnessing innovation and digital tools to extend resilience from national institutions to local farms and villages.In Maradisi, a small farming community in Marneuli Municipality,  where droughts, floods and harsh winters are becoming more frequent, climate-smart tools are essential. The Georgia Climate Services for Agriculture (GECSA) app, developed by UNDP in partnership with the Rural Development Agency and powered by the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) advanced agrometeorological station, provides hyperlocal, real-time climate data directly to farmers’ phones.“With the right information, we can protect our crops, conserve water, and plan better for the future,” says Naira Paksadze, a member of the women-led Green Maradisi cooperative, which uses this data to optimise irrigation, anticipate pests, and plan planting cycles with greater accuracy.  The cooperative’s success in blending innovation and inclusion also reflects Georgia’s commitment to gender-responsive climate action, where rural women are positioned not only as beneficiaries but as changemakers.This work reflects a broader shift led by RC Trebucq, placing actionable knowledge in the hands of the most vulnerable, whether it’s a smallholder farmer in Marneuli or a mountain rescue team in Oni.RC Trebucq noted, “The true measure of resilience isn't just in the infrastructure we build, but in the foresight and knowledge we put into the hands of those most affected by climate change. Our coordinated UN effort, from the GECSA app to rescue equipment, ensures that no Georgian is left behind in the face of climate change. Anticipating risk and taking early, preventive action is the foundation of effective disaster risk reduction.”ImageCaption: As part of its commitment to leaving no one behind, Georgia is positioning rural women as changemakers and not only beneficiaries.Photo: © RCO/Gela BedianashviliPreparedness as protectionAcross Georgia, preparedness is increasingly a whole-of-society effort. Volunteers in small villages serve as first responders, while schools across the country conduct regular evacuation drills using a child-friendly guide developed by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and national authorities.In 2024, more than 3,800 people received training in disaster preparedness through UN-supported programmes.  Approximately two-thirds were women. These initiatives ensure that when hazards strike, communities can act swiftly and confidently.Technology also plays a critical role. At the government’s request, the UN activated the International Charter on Space through the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT). The Charter provided satellite imagery to help authorities assess damage and forecast future risks. In 2024, the UN Office of Project Services (UNOPS) in Georgia, in partnership with the European Union, completed a three-year project aimed at strengthening the Emergency Management Service under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. As part of the initiative, UNOPS procured advanced safety equipment and high-tech solutions, including emergency rescue and training tools, land, sea, and mountain search equipment, high-mobility and all-terrain vehicles, skiing gear, and drones designed for search and rescue operations.ImageCaption: Safety equipment and high-tech solutions, such as emergency rescue and training tools, are integral to Georgia's disaster management efforts. The Resident Coordinator and UN teams have been helping with procurement and implementation.Photo: © RCOInvesting in a safer futureGeorgia’s resilience journey, which spans from green technology in rural areas to improved mountain rescue capabilities, demonstrates the value of preparedness as an investment in the future. However, additional efforts are needed in public education, inclusive planning, infrastructure, early warning systems, data, and coordination to protect lives and sustain progress in the face of natural challenges. Building resilience before hazards materialise remains the most cost-effective strategy.  It is also key to achieving Georgia’s commitments under the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework, and the Sustainable Development Goals.Under the 2026–2030 UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, the UN and Georgia prioritise climate resilience, early warning, and preparedness, aiming to equip all Georgians with the tools and knowledge to face a changing climate.This approach reflects the leadership vision of the Resident Coordinator, who has positioned climate resilience with the UNCT as a unifying thread across the UN’s development and humanitarian work.This story was originally published on the UN DCO website: https://un-dco.org/stories 

Thanks to a recent initiative, 164 women entrepreneurs in Georgia will continue their business activities with new knowledge and skills. UN Women, in cooperation with the Georgian Farmers’ Association and the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is implementing the project “Supporting Women Entrepreneurs in Georgia” for women living in the regions who run businesses in various fields.The initiative was launched in January 2024. With the help of business diagnostic tools, trainings, seminars and individual and group mentoring programmes tailored to the business needs of women entrepreneurs were initially developed. As a result, participants were retrained in branding, digital marketing, e-commerce, business management and sales. In addition, they received valuable knowledge about financial and tax tools and established useful connections that will help them expand and develop their businesses.Salome Kalandadze, 29, is one of the participants in the initiative. She received a higher education in tourism and now grows about 30 types of organic vegetables in the village of Nigoiti, located in Lanchkhuti Municipality in the region of Guria.“We received training tailored to our needs,” says Salome, “and mentors also talked to us about current topics. Most importantly, participating in the project introduced me to and connected me with entrepreneurs with common interests, which I think is very important. In the future, these women will definitely cooperate and take greater steps together to strengthen the country.” Salome plans to develop an agritourism facility in Nigoiti that will welcome visitors.It is noteworthy that within the framework of the project, profiles were created on social networks and online platforms to promote the work of the women entrepreneurs. Participants were also trained in social media management and how to post products on the e-commerce sites, which will allow them to manage these profiles independently in the future. The initiative also included study visits for the participating women entrepreneurs.Since 2019, UN Women has been working to empower women entrepreneurs, supporting the development and expansion of their business activities. This support includes sharing important and valuable knowledge and experiences for women entrepreneurs, strengthening their necessary skills, helping them to establish useful business connections, providing mentoring opportunities and increasing their access to online sales and financing.The initiatives to empower women entrepreneurs, implemented in collaboration with the Georgian Farmers’ Association and the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, are part of the Women’s Economic Empowerment component of the UN Women project “Good Governance for Gender Equality in Georgia”. The project is funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).